The Risks of Apple Shaped Obesity

As mentioned before, there are two types of obesity, apple shaped and pear shaped. There is a much higher risk in developing a lifestyle disease when an individual has apple shaped obesity. Through a CT scan, we can see there are also two ways someone can develop apple shaped obesity. One is through high abdominal fat, the other is through high subcutaneous fat.

It is clear that someone with high abdominal fat has a greater risk for high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) and diabetes. It is said that inner fat takes a direct effect on our organs. However, abdominal fat is easier to reduce than subcutaneous fat.

In order to reduce abdominal fat, men need to reduce their food intake to about 1500-1800 kcal and women, 1200-1500 kcal a day. Also, they will need to include about 30 minutes exercise and muscle training.

If you discover you have over 100mm (3.9in) of inner fat, you should reduce your food intake and to exercise. You should be able to reduce 1/3 of your inner fat within a month.

Alcohol, Beer Bellies, and the Importance of Basal Metabolism

Yomiuri newspaper, on of the major newspapers in Japan, has recently reported that the beer belly often seen on middle aged men has nothing to do with the amount of beer they drink.

A comparison of those who drink a lot of beer and those who do not revealed a lack of difference in the size of their belt lines. These results were announced in Japan yesterday at a Japanese institute for alcohol and drugs.


Drinking beer is not always the main cause of gaining fat. The main cause is a continuation of an intake of an excessive amount of calories. A good balance is generated between calorie intake and daily calorie consumption. Please note that general alcoholic drinks, such as beer, contain about 7kcal per 1g.

If you want to avoid gaining weight, you have to at least know your basal metabolism. This will help you make decisions on how much food you should eat during social situations. You will be able to make better judgements if you have the proper knowledge such as your basal metabolism.

Criticisms of BMI

BMI is the most commonly used index to measure obesity throughout the world. It is measured by:

70-80% of those who are regarded as overweight using BMI do in fact have a lot of inner fat, and those are obese.

20-30% of those regarded as overweight using BMI actually are quite muscular, known as “katabutori” in Japanese. This is a common case for athletes.

A few years ago, Naoya Ogawa, an Olympic silver medalist as well as a Japan Diet Academy graduate, came to the Japan Diet Academy asking, “Why do I have such a high BMI even though I’ve reduced my weight? I know I’m not obese even though my BMI is 30. Why does this happen?”

He was sent to have a CT scan and discovered that his inner fat was actually 38cm². His height is 193cm (6ft 4in) and weight is 115kg (254lb), but he is not obese, he is a katabutori.

On the other hand, there are people with a low BMI who are obese. It is commonly referred to as “hidden obesity.” About 10% of those with a BMI in the normal range or lower have hidden obesity. Most of the time this occurs among young women who tried dieting, even though they had no need to, and repeated a cycle of rebound weight, or “weight cycling.” Others are middle men who are mostly skinny except for being chubby around the abdomen.

Obesity caused by high abdominal fat, referred to as “apple shaped obesity” in the last post, is a major factor to lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, referred to as the “deadly quartet.”

Apple Shaped vs Pear Shaped Obesity

Obesity is divided into two types based on where fat is accumulated. One form is called apple shaped obesity, also known as “beer belly” in both English and Japanese, which is seen on those who build up fat around the abdomen. Men are more likely to develop this form of obesity.

The other form of obesity is called pear shaped obesity, which is when fat accumulates in the lower part of the body, such as the thighs and hips. This form of obesity is more common in women, especially adolescent girls. Mainly this form of fat is due to the natural shape of a woman’s body, within the subcutaneous layer, and it is not recommended to completely reduce this fat. Many women who reach menopause will also develop apple shaped obesity. In Japan, this is known as “sandanbara” or “three layered stomach.”

For your reference, here is a list, in order, of people at risk for obesity.

1. Women in their 50’s
2. Women in their 60’s
3. Men above 30

In addition, there are approximately 1.5 million obese men and 2 million obese women in Japan. In the US, there are approximately 51 million obese men and 54 million obese women.